Talk:Knockin' on Heaven's Door

Meaning?
Would be nice if someone add the meaning for this phrase(?).--Rrjanbiah 10:59, 25 Mar 2005 (UTC)
 * You could do it if it bugs you enough. Rentastrawberry 19:57, Jun 5, 2005 (UTC)
 * Try here:

Well, the meaning seems straightforward (of being very near death), though you couldn't use the linked page as a citation for that, as it's just a chat rather than a source suitable for Wikipedia. isn't it obvious enough not to haev to say, though? --Mel Etitis ( Μελ Ετητης ) 20:03, 19 July 2005 (UTC)


 * In my opinion, Knockin' on Heaven's Door is one of the strongest performances of Dylan, certainly my favourite sang by himself. The meaning may be ambiguous, depending on your personal situation. So what does it essentially mean? One day everyone of us has to face death and it is Dylan's strength to find the right words and a tune showing how we could do that, when life is coming to an end. The other version of similar quality that I like very much, because it explores further emotional depths, is the one from Warron Zevon.--Pjotr Morgen

Led Zeppelin
When did LZ remake this song? Rentastrawberry 03:07, 17 September 2005 (UTC) Is there an LZ version - or was that another "heaven" song. Codwiki (talk) 00:43, 24 November 2009 (UTC)

Bon Jovi
Bon Jovi did a cover a few years back for one tour, though only an 'unplugged' version seems to have been recorded. Should be added anyway?


 * He recorded an electric version as well..one of the more obnoxious renditions of all time..no one ever got this song right after Dylan and Booker T laid it down the 1st time..the same way Hendrix mastered Watchtower..I suppose this is why it`s listed as a hard rock song in the info box. 24.240.171.194 (talk) 04:12, 9 May 2015 (UTC)

U2
I do not want to remove it becuase i am really not sure but i have not been able to find anything about U2 doing this song? I even checked the iTunes Music Store's Complete U2. Can anyone confirm or deny this
 * They've never recorded it, only played it a couple of times live - including a few performances following 9/11. See here. --84.186.59.150 13:47, 23 February 2006 (UTC)

The part about many journalists and activists were injured and killed because of Himkinskiy Forest is just a senseless lie.

Jimi Hendrix
He died in 1970- did dylan write this before then?
 * I thought he wrote in in 73' for that movie... - Cabrosa

Guns N' Roses
Did Dylan ever mention what he thought of their version? Just wondering, since so many people argue over which version is better? Everytime 13:08, 6 April 2007 (UTC)

Jonah of Manchuria?
What on earth is this assertion, sans reference, doing here? If Dylan himself ever claimed such an absurd thing, it at the very least needs documentation and most likely simply doesn't belong in the article, since such a claim is utterly unsupported by the lyrics. I smell spam. MIchael 07:02, 13 July 2007 (UTC)

9/11
it seems like the song is talking about 9/11. it says "i can't use my guns anymore" like the terrorists won the fight and it says "that dark cloud is coming down" like when the towers fell a dark cloud formed. is it about 9/11? —Preceding unsigned comment added by LJRox (talk • contribs) 13:32, 22 September 2007 (UTC)
 * Are you serious?The Illusional Ministry 16:12, 3 October 2007 (UTC)

to be patronizing, it was written in the 70's. so no. no it is not. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Tiefenja (talk • contribs) 00:14, 14 March 2008 (UTC)

Delete Trivia Section
Do we really need the trivia section, with its one fact? It doesn't really inform the article at all, and if we took it out, we wouldn't need that ugly "trivia sections are discouraged" box. Just a thought... Samboha 01:06, 11 October 2007 (UTC)


 * trivia sections rock. Who are you to say what should be in the Wikipedia? How would you know what people are here looking for? --Sigmundur (talk) 21:57, 16 February 2008 (UTC)

yeah, ok but
i see a lot of information but no ones has written whats the song about.. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 190.43.110.170 (talk) 18:03, 20 December 2007 (UTC)

Pat Garret and Billy the Kid Soundtrack
Covers by Guns n' Roses, Eric Clapton?... and April Lavigne!!?

This Dylan´s song features prominently in one of the most moving sequences in all western films history: Old sheriff Colin Baker, sitting peacefully and looking in the distance while dying from his wounds, with Mrs Baker crying and "smiling" by his side - unforgettables Slim Pickens and Katy Jurado -.

If you want the meaning of this song, watch the film, it´s worth it. —Preceding unsigned comment added by RuZamp (talk • contribs) 16:46, 21 May 2010 (UTC)

60.226.72.146 (talk) 02:34, 10 October 2010 (UTC)

Jesus references.
I'm sure this was intended to be a joke, but it needs to be removed, as it's ridiculous and unprofessional.

60.226.72.146 (talk) 02:33, 10 October 2010 (UTC)

Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman has a very moving live cover of this song on YouTube.

PS I have no idea how this works. Just thought Tracy Chapman should be included in the covers section

Jack6128 (talk) 01:11, 16 December 2014 (UTC)

Alternate conclusion
Could it be that Bob's lyrics to "Knocking On Heavens Door" could have roots in his cultural heritage and he is referring to the bigotry and prejudice associated with the Yellow Star of David during the German treatment of Jews? If an individuals culture requires an Identity it diminishes the individual's liberty?

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Wait a Minute
"Knockin' on Heaven's Door" is essentially the same song as "Wait a Minute" (recorded by Seldom Scene on their album Old Train) with a different lyric. I'm not sure which song came first, but given Robert Zimmerman's prodigious propensity for plagiarism it seems to me the matter bears looking into. TheScotch (talk) 09:32, 27 May 2018 (UTC)

“That a previous author of this page...”
I haven’t been a Wikipedia editor in a very, very long time, but this sentence in the opening paragraph is something that’s allowed now? Seems a bit strange to me. 71.173.18.57 (talk) 00:24, 22 July 2020 (UTC)

Why did you not mention Randy Crawford's version of "knocking on heaven's door?"
query 197.239.9.7 (talk) 12:51, 23 March 2023 (UTC)